News archive for the 'Holidays' group

Holidays

Cardiff – a five day break from 6th or 7th August 2012 A unique mixture of rich heritage, architecture and historic buildings, including Cardiff castle and cathedral, with entertainment for everyone. We will have a day to explore this wonderful city, a full day through the valleys to the Brecon Beacons national park and the Usk valley. More details in Newsletter.

BrittanyEarly May 2013 8 days/7 nights Cost in the region of £599.
We will visit Pont l’Eveque or Lisieux on the way down followed by Bayeux to see the tapestry and a tour of the town before getting to our hotel in Rennes.
Excursions will include trips to: Vannes, Carnac and Quiberon; Pont Aven and Quimper; the historic walled town of St. Malo and nearby Cancale; Dinan/Dinard and possibly Cap Frehel. On our return journey we will visit Mont St Michel, on the Normandy coast before our overnight stop at either Pont l’Evêque or Honfleur. Final day wil include a short visit to Boulougne sur Mer. Accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis with four evening meals included.

Contact Jane Jones 526 2530

 

Granada September 2012

We have arranged a 4 nights, 5 day tour to Granada, Spain, flying to Malaga from Manchester and staying at the Los Angeles Hotel on a half board basis.
Sunday 30th September 2012 After departing from Maghull we drive to Manchester Airport for our flight to Malaga. Upon arrival a coach will transfer us from the airport to Granada. Granada is the capital of the province with the same name, situated in the eastern part of the region of Andalusia. The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the confluences of the Darro and Genil rivers. Its unique history has bestowed it with an artistic grandeur embracing Moorish palaces and Christian Renaissance treasures. The city of Granada has been shaped by the hills, where the old districts in the Albaicín and the Alhambra were founded, brimming with steep, narrow streets, beautiful nooks and crannies, and marvelous landscapes. The new part of the city is situated on the plain, crisscrossed by the large arteries of Gran Vía de Colón and Calle de los Reyes Católicos, and where the busy streets around the Cathedral are found. We will make a stop for lunch en-route (not included) before continuing to our hotel, the Los Angeles, located in a privileged place in the centre of Granada for 4 nights on a Half Board basis.

In the late afternoon we continue to our hotel. The Duques de Bergara is a good quality hotel just a few yards away from Catalan Square which is the centre of the city. There is a bar and restaurant in the hotel. We shall stay here for 3 nights on a Bed and Breakfast basis. Half board option is also available.

Towns in this part of the country. Much of the hotel has undergone major improvements and redecoration. We shall stay here for 4 nights on a half board basis.

Monday 1st October 2102 This morning we will have a guided walking tour of Granada visiting the major sights. The rest of the day is free.

Tuesday 2nd October 2012 Today we will have a coach tour to Cordoba. Cordoba has the second largest old town in Europe, the largest urban area in the world declared World Heritage by UNESCO. The different cultures that throughout the centuries have met in this city have enriched it and left a definite mark. As well as the unique mosque-cathedral, Cordoba’s treasures include the Alcazar, or Fortress, built by the Christians in 1328; the Calahorra Fort, originally built by the Arabs, which guards the Roman Bridge, on the far side of the river from the Mezquita and the ancient Jewish Synagogue, now a museum. Cordoba’s medieval quarter, once the home of the Jewish community, is called “La Judería” (The Jewry), a labyrinth of winding, narrow streets, shady flower-filled courtyards and picturesque squares. We will have plenty of time here to see the major sights before returning to the hotel.

Wednesday 3rd October 2012 After breakfast we make our way to The Alhambra Palace where we will have a guided tour. The Palace was one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world when it was created in the 13th and 14th centuries and remains so today. The Alhambra is a unique creation spawned from the gold coffers of Moorish sultans. Wars, sieges and years of neglect have failed to detract from the allure of the Alhambra Palace which continues to attract millions of visitors each year to a hilltop that overlooks the city. It was the last and most splendid of all the Arabian palaces to be built in Spain during 700 years of Moorish domination and offers a mesmerizing mixture of the most intricate tilework, filigree decoration and mosaics within its royal rooms and shaded courtyards. A sensual blend of bubbling fountains, dark green pools, white marble floors and enchanting passage ways draw you back through the centuries. There will be free time in the afternoon.

Thursday 4th October 2012 After breakfast we check out of the hotel. The day will be free (bags can be left in the hotel) before we make our way to Malaga Airport for our flight home. Upon arrival at Manchester Airport we will be met by a coach and transferred back to Maghull.

The total cost of this tour will be £359 per person plus flight cost £165 excluding baggage,       1 bag can be booked for an extra £32. Single room supplement £75. Insurance available at: £18 up to 65 years of age, £26 66-69yrs, £34 70-74yrs, £46 75-80yrs. Please contact us for a quote for 80+ years of age. Please fill in the booking form and send a deposit of £200 per person along with any single room or insurance costs. Balance of payment due by 13th August 2012.

Geoff Kean

Constable Country 2012 – Holiday

Constable Country September 2012
7th – 14th September 2012
£460.00 per person  £70.00 Single Supplement
Non– refundable deposit of £50.00 required on booking.

Holiday Overview
Join us for a eight day/seven night stay on a half board basis in rural Suffolk, an area that inspired Constable and Gainsborough. Our stay will be at the Holiday Inn just outside Ipswich.  Travel will be by luxury coach (Ashtons) with onboard toilet with tea/coffee and possible snack making facilities.

The Hotel
Within the hotel all rooms are provided with air conditioning, en-suite facilities, tea/coffee making facilities, satellite t.v., internet access, toiletries, hairdryer , personal fridge and 24 hour room service.  The hotel boasts an indoor pool, sauna, & a fitness facility

Excursions
All excursions are included in the holiday price.
On our journey down we will call at Ely, we’ll have time to visit the magnificent Cathedral and Oliver Cromwell’s home, the only one still surviving outside London.
During our stay we will visit Cambridge (guided tour included).
We plan to see Dedham, Flatford Mill and East Bergholt the heart of Constable Country (in the company of  a Constable Guide) and pay a visit to Sudbury the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough.
Enjoy a boat trip to Woodbridge before paying a visit to the Anglo-Saxon site at Sutton Hoo.
There will be the opportunity to enjoy the pretty market town of Saffron Walden before visiting Audley End House one of England’s grandest stately homes.
Enjoy the Roman town of Colchester and delve into Suffolk’s and Kent’s smuggling history with visits to Frinton on Sea and Walton on the Naze.  Wander around  Bury St Edmunds before going back in time in delightful Lavenham.
Our return trip will be via Rutland Water, Oakhampton and Stamford with plenty of time to enjoy the sights before arriving back in  Maghull.

Jane Jones

Valkenburg, Holland

Valkenburg, Holland    6th – 11th May 2012
Cost: £399.00    Single supplement of £85.00 A six day break to Valkenburg in Holland staying at the Grand Hotel Voncken on a bed and breakfast basis with one evening meal included on the night of our arrival. Travel by luxury coach with on board toilet, tea/coffee and snacks making facilities. The holiday will include a day’s visit to the Floriade in Venlo, a world horticultural Expo, held once every ten years. Entrance to the event will be an additional £30.00. Other inclusive visits will be to the Three Countries Point, Aachen or Cologne, the Eifel Valley, Monschau, Mons, Maastricht and Valkenburg itself. For more details please see the Holiday Desk or ring Jane Jones on 526 2530

Bruges 2011

Holiday group set out

Fantastic, fantastiques, fantastisch …… You can say it in English, French, Dutch or Flemish (if I knew how), but whatever the language, it’s certainly the right word to describe our recent U3A trip to Bruges.

We had it all; great company, great hotel, great food, great weather and the most perfect location. Our journey on the Sunday went like clockwork with no hold ups but with plenty of tea or coffee and the occasional ‘bacon buttie’ courtesy of the amazing Agnes, to keep us going. The crossing was smooth and the duty free very tempting but our thoughts were very firmly focused on what was to come.

Eating out

Canal trip

Bruges was a magical fairyland (especially to those seeing it for the first time), its medieval buildings a pure joy. Its cobbled streets, its nooks and crannies, its meandering canal gave it a charm all of its own. We were guided around the old town sharing its secrets, excited that soon we’d be able to explore for ourselves and delighting in each new vista.

Horse power

We clung on as horse drawn carriages hurtled us around the streets, ducked our heads as we went under the low bridges on the canal and sampled the tempting chocolate or one (or more) of the 400+ beers the town had to offer. We paid homage to Michaelangelo’s Madonna and Child and were impressed by those who braved the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry and envied them the sight of the town from that amazing vantage point. Each corner turned produced yet another ‘wow’ and cameras flashed time and time again.

Bruges at night

Night-time Bruges was even more captivating and to all those who’ve been for the day I urge them to return and wait until the lights come on and reveal that fairyland I mentioned. The cafes and the bars were welcoming, the Flemish stew hit the mark each time and the waiters were ….. let’s say they were game for a laugh!

Further-a-field – some of us experienced the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres and felt the emotional pull as the bugle sounded its poignant farewell echoing under the stone canopy carved with the names of the fallen.

We were impressed by the Mystic Lamb in Ghent Cathedral and it was there that some of us even found the man of our dreams. We enjoyed Belgian waffles in the heart of Brussels knowing full well that we’d pay the price for such sins on our return home. We took in the sights of Brussels in comfort as Alec, as our very able driver, whisked us around to see the Eternal Flame and the restored Atonium.

Our final day took us briefly over the border into Holland where we had time for a coffee and a saunter around the town of Sluis; a place we’ve all put down as being somewhere we’d like re-visit sometime before travelling to Ostend on the Belgian coast.

Sadly all good things come to an end and after a quick paddle in the North Sea and a last banana split at De Panne we headed home. The journey was hassle free and spirits were high even if we were physically flagging as we arrived back safe and sound.

I started with the word fantastic and it’s a good word to end with. Bruges 2011 – fantastic!   Jane Jones

 

Isle of Wight memories

Quaint villages, crumbling castles, royal houses, sea cruises (albeit in the Solent) sunshine, sandy beaches and cream teas, we had it all on last year’s holiday to the Isle of Wight.  We relaxed in a very comfortable hotel with balconies that gave glorious views of the English Channel, visited the wonderful sights the island has to offer from ornamental gardens to butter fly havens, restored steam railways to naval dockyards, miniature villages to needles of chalk and marvelled at the Dancing Waters and the Summer Show in the evenings.  We were even scared (the brave ones) on the evening ghost walk!  The holiday had all the right ingredients especially great company and our group had a brilliant time.
These few photos may only give you a taste but it’s a taste to savour. Jane Jones